Realistic or Modern THE WALKING DEAD - Our Broken World [IC - Open]

[Crono]

Faith Walls

Conrad

Over the last week Conrad had been mulling over the conversation of leadership he and Derek had spoken on. Initially he'd planned to confront the problem head on and as soon as possible. But both the conversation, and a night of restless sleep had put that on hold. While he'd slept some in the nights, it wasn't nearly as much as he'd like. The cogs were turning and his brain wouldn't shut off easily, and often he'd find himself taking late night shifts on the walls or guard duty just so he could stop laying in bed while wide awake.

For the most part the days were relatively the same, he'd stopped into the medical area like many others to see how Dean and Ray were faring but for the most part he'd avoided any interaction with Ray. The last thing he needed was sticking is foot in his mouth and saying something or going off on Ray without a forethought. Really he wished he could think more like Derek, be the soldier to follow orders and not question leadership much but it's just not in him. Derek wanted him to speak to Carmen as well, something he'd been considering but hadn't acted. Still trying to think on what might be the best way to make a change, or at the very least make Ray think twice about his choices. Conrad simply wanted change in whatever way that came, for the better.

Since he'd had duty early in the morning, but was now off, Conrad was helping check on some of the community's gear. Specifically the ropes, just making sure that none were on the verge of breaking. The man heard soft footsteps from behind and turned to see Sister Carmen just as she started speaking. The man smiled in greeting, "I'm doing alright, thanks. Guessing you've had a busy week yourself." Though clearly she'd come with intent given her words. "Oh he did?" The man asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Conrad shouldn't be surprised, and he couldn't blame the man considering their relationship. Still, a heads up might have been nice. The man's eyes scanned the immediate area just to make sure nobody would hear them easily. "I stand by it, but I haven't figured out what I want do about it." He stated simply, pausing to offer the woman a chance to share her own thoughts and maybe clarify her own stance on the topic she'd spoken to Derek on.

Josh​

coded by reveriee.

 

[FellowKnight]

Billie

Focusing, then refocusing, a mind both swarmed with 100mph thoughts, and emptied by his fatigue. Arms and legs heavy like stone, a body that lulled between deep relaxation and jarring consciousness. His footsteps were sluggish and clumsy, scraping along the concrete behind him. The edges of his vision doubled and danced and toyed with him, dashing away when he set a glance on them. In other words, Billie was dead on his feet and needed more red-bull or monster, or at least a shot of cold water to the face. Just long enough to meet with Brooke and Ray at the noon meeting and share the fruits of his umpteenth night without rest.

Well, that’d be a lie. He got just about an hour of shut-eye before someone woke him. They’d said he looked sickly, like one of the haunters, and Billie didn’t doubt they saw and smelled right. He hadn’t showered in days, done laundry in weeks, or consumed anything that didn't quicken his step. Most of his days were like this; a handful of hours to sleep, that first dose of caffeine and window-filtered sunlight, half-remembered conversations in dirty clothes, a labyrinth of hastily scribbled reminders and correlating notes, rinse and repeat. His little sister, Heidi, had taken to calling him “Detective Stank Holmes”, though he’d seen less and less of her in the past two weeks.

Today, luckily, he wasn’t sent to the Nurse’s office again for some doctor-ordered R&R again. On his last visit, Binna and Bella both didn’t let him leave until he’d slept for four consecutive hours, prescribing and keeping count of his melatonin. He couldn’t fault them for being good at their job, though he now made an effort to avoid them. Given how relatively small Faith was, that was a bit of a challenge.

Just about the only place he could get some alone time was the Chapel. And honestly, it was the only place he could cry in relative peace too. He felt alone in his grief, like everyone had moved on and accepted her death except him. Even Mona was talking about some sort of flower festival she wanted to do, and Heidi was more concerned making-up with that Tucker kid, and convincing Derek to let her go on runs. Billie couldn’t move on, wouldn’t, because it wasn’t true. She wasn’t dead. He'd find her, if it took every goddamn thing in him.

Father Craig and Sister Carmen had been at his side since Junette vanished and had become something of confidants and "angels of reason". He felt like he could tell them anything, share any secret or thought. But one thing he never did, with them or anyone, was the overwhelming urge he'd had to use drugs again. Six years wasn't a record he intended on breaking, and Junette would sure beat his ass, but those impulses were bubbling back up to the surface and he wasn't sure he'd be strong enough to resist.

He was also painfully aware he had to get on top of his duties, to occupy his mind if nothing else. Rationing grub and clean-up in the kitchens, stew-prep for the upcoming harvest, wall watching, and rejoining the builder's crew. Last he heard, Dean was put out of commission after some kind of injury on a supply run. Billie couldn't say he felt too bad about it, the guy had rubbed him wrong since he arrived in Faith, and they were butting heads even more often now. Thankfully Billie wouldn't have to deal with his wrath as one of the newer guys had been put in charge of the crew, Wallace or some other. It was a saving grace too; he'd drawn up some plans for a gazebo-park last month, and with the apartment complex providing more room and a fresh mind in charge, he might have more luck getting them passed.

Most of all, he needed to force himself to see his daughter, to hold and play with her while he could. He'd been putting it off for nearly a week now, despite Junette saying every day with her would be precious in a world as dangerous as this. He knew she was right. Like his own father, he didn't want his memory to become a dark thing to look back on with unease. He wasn't sure how he'd do it, but he hyped himself up to try.

Billie glanced around the parking lot as he crossed it, spotting a small group of people moving supllies to its center in preparation for the meeting. Just up the way from the assembly, marching near the wall, was a mountain of a man with greying hair and arms like javelins. He was definitely one of them, probably from the same bus as Wallace but he could've been wrong. Even still, he made a b-line for him and nodded politely.

"Uh, hey. You're one of our new guys, right?" He extended his hand before it occurred to him that this man was downwind of him. He tried not to dwell on that and quietly hoped his cologne would work its magic. "Billie.. Cross! So.. Everything good so far? Oh and, uh, you wouldn't happen to know where Wallace is-- At least I think that's his name, Wall-something. He was on the same bus as you, uhhh.." He flipped open the messy folder he'd been clutching, peering at a sticky note. "Ten days ago! Ten? Yea.. I'm on with the builders and got some stuff I wanted to run by him."

Charles Babel

Mona

Mona hummed as she she bounced along the greenhouse, sweeping up dead leaves and swabbing vents for dust. Amelia sat in a carrier on her chest, cooing and babbling, reaching for plants. The newcomers had arrived at just the right time, with communal enthusiasm and involvement on the rise, and her big "Festival of Giving" around the corner. Granted she hadn't run it by Ray or the others yet, it probably wasn't the right time with the backlash Brooke was facing, or the ground Ray would have to make up for, but Elyse was on board which meant Ben probably was too. Between their support and Mona's detailed proposal she was confident in pitching it at the noon meeting. If all went well, it could be a year-round deal.

To lay a sort of groundwork, she and Elyse organized some welcome-in flower baskets for the newcomers, fit with decorative ribbons and a palm's worth of berries. At the bottom she left a note, explaining the basket was theirs to use in the around the gardens and in the greenhouse, or could simply be returned. A few were made special and delivered to people like Katja, Dean, Alastair, and Wally, as well as Joe for his baby and Derek for his engagement.

She was afraid Katja didn't quite get all the affection she deserved, and wanted to remind her Faith still thought of her. She was pretty sure Dean would trash all but the food in his, though she had a sneaking suspicion it would hit that soft spot in his otherwise stone-cold attitude. Alastair seemed sweet and down-to-earth, and his radio show had a lot of people talking, so his was more of a thanks and congratulations. It was also a sort of means to get her foot in the door and let Heidi pitch her book-reading ideas. That kind of outlet would be good for her, better than running outside the walls at least.

Wally's was less a gesture, more an invitation and show of support. Mona wouldn't deny that she kind of liked him despite not knowing him longer than a week. They hadn't talked but a few times since he'd arrived and he'd be even busier spear-heading the expansion, but her hope was he'd find time for little things like this. He was putting his all into the expansion against the grain of what people thought of him and she admired that. Even though he struck her as a private man with a buried past, she at the very least wanted to peek through that door and let some light in. Who knows, maybe dirt-covered hands in seventy-degree weather was the kind of therapy he needed.

After cleaning-up the grounds, she moved a little faster to trimming, flower-bed checks, and watering. Heidi had promised to take Amelia for the other half of the day, but Mona was set on talking to Billie about picking up the slack, however difficult that would be. Plus, she knew that little scamp, and there was no way she was babysitting when everyone was bound to be distracted with a meeting. If Mona got done in time though, she could hit the cafeteria and get some face-time with everyone. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious as to the particulars of Derek and Carmen's engagement, and what other little gossip had cropped up since then.

Heidi

"Speaking of careful," Heidi set her tray next to Maia, giving her a playful bump. "How about screw that, and we got our hands on some bikes? I saw a few chained up at a park on the north road. We'll finally look like an actual gang, and we can pull up on this kid in style." She giggled as she started to eat, sneaking a glance across the table at Tucker. They didn't speak much since their fight the week before, which wasn't really out of the norm for their on-again-off-again.. thing. She'd always wanted more from him, a deeper sort of connection to that other side she'd seen and fell in love with, but it was a tough cycle to break. Maybe she pushed too hard and asked him to compromise too much, she didn't know. She hoped her joining in on these trips gave them a bit more quality time, and did a little something to remedy that. But more so, she didn't want to lose him as a friend. Maia, too. And if the two of them could finally get along, she had to believe her and Tucker still had a chance.

"If Andrew can scale a rope one-handed, imagine what he can do on a bike. Even Kenji's got a skateboard!" She'd heard about the group's first little venture, when Andrew kind of blew up on everyone. At first Heidi was convinced he was just a ball of issues and trauma, but it seemed like he was more or less functioning with their group now. She might've dared to say, he was comfortable with them. Whatever kind of growth that was, he was still full of surprises and Heidi liked it.

Elaine was one helluva artist, and the two actually bonded over their sketches, making a game of drawing buildings and objects while they were out. Heidi proposed they do it again when they go for another run, hoping to break the tie. Kenji and Cricket came as a pair, but they were both solid. Though it was something of a bug in her brain.. Why weren't they, like, together? They were friends and that was a perfect cover story, but still.

"Seriously though, I'm surprised there's still people in the city. Kinda feels like we adopted all of them, you know?"

Zenterfold Josh Ghost_Candy Selee-01 Fluffy Cookies

 

[Selee-01]

"If Andrew can scale a rope one-handed, imagine what he can do on a bike. Even Kenji's got a skateboard!" She'd heard about the group's first little venture, when Andrew kind of blew up on everyone. At first Heidi was convinced he was just a ball of issues and trauma, but it seemed like he was more or less functioning with their group now. She might've dared to say, he was comfortable with them. Whatever kind of growth that was, he was still full of surprises and Heidi liked it.

....

"Seriously though, I'm surprised there's still people in the city. Kinda feels like we adopted all of them, you know?"

Andrew mulled over the thought of riding a bike again. Damn, it had been ages since he’d last used one, way before the undead had ever shown up, but he thought he could still do it. You never forget after all.

“That could be fun,” he said, casually scratching his chin. “Can’t promise any fancy tricks with my arm still in the condition it’s in, but once I get this cast off we should see about, like, bicycle tricks and shit.”

“It is strange,” Andrew continued. “Why’s some kid running around in the middle of Biter-infested territory, all alone? I’ve been out there on my own. You can never stop looking over your shoulder for something or someone.” And with that he settled into a pensive silence, poking at his eggs with a fork.

 

[Charles Babel]

Sam turned around and gave the man a look over. The former wrestler didn't have a mental note of the man, though that didn't mean he hadn't met him...he'd just forgot.
His stature and the mask he wore made Sam seem look more surly than he actually was, so he put a little smile on his face. "Yeah, ah'm one of the new guys. Sam Owens, Lionheart, if you're a mark."

He pondered the question for a moment before answering. "Ah'm doin' alright, got a nice place here after all. Been helpin' with some survival trainin', well talkin' to Derek about them, and sleepin'. And to answer the question you really wanted to know, now that we've cut through this small talk bs, no ah ain't seen Wallace around. Just takin' a walk to pass the time."

FellowKnight

 

[Josh]

Carmen

Carmen scoffed. "Goodness sake, you're underselling it! This week has been blur. It's been difficult trying to plan even a small, intimate ceremony. There is just so much going on right now." Carmen's soft voice lingered in the air as she looked around herself in thought.

As she observed, she waited until Conrad and her were all alone. Carmen's body language shifted slightly in front of the man. Her normal rigged, proper posture loosened and her shoulders sank. "Don't be too angry at Derek." Carmen's normally sweet, almost saccharine tone was gone and she allowed her slight New York accent to slip out, as if she was came straight from the streets of Spanish Harlem. "I saw you two talking and, well? Derek can't keep a secret from me."

She maintained a slight but steady tapping of her fingers against her thighs. "You don't need to explain yourself to me, Conrad. While I was, admittedly, caught off guard, I did some digging around town." A small smirk adorned the sister's face, followed by a slight frown. "If your main goal is to get rid of Ray? That's not going to happen. Not anytime soon, at least. However, while not everyone is necessarily a fan of the man, there is a larger group who question Brooke's leadership." Carmen's eyes were noticeably darting around to see if they were being watched.

"There are definitely cracks in their leadership. From what I have gathered through conversations, even if they did step down, there is no clear pick for who would come next." Carmen was leaning forward slightly now, enough so that she had to brush her hair away from her face. "And if I can be very honest, too many people wouldn't mind Dean being in charge, and, Lord forgive me, that's horrifying. Granted, the fool doesn't nearly have majority supporters, but it honestly comes down to either, hmm... Derek, Dr. Roberts, Dean, and you. Maybe even James. Elliot too if people did not mind one so young." The Sister looked in the man in the eye. "Elliot, while I adore him, would never step up, and Derek knows I prefer to be at arm's length from positions of power. As for James and Doctor Roberts?" A sigh. "They'd be the safest bets, however I'm pretty sure they are both happy where they are at. Besides, as long as the doctor is with Dean, that would put Dean close to power, and that man..."

For the first time, a look of concern flashed on the Sister's face. It was clear Carmen wasn't a fan of Dean. While she tried to give everyone a fair, honest chance, Dean worried her. He was getting more and more paranoid and toxic day by day. While he was harmless at the moment, things change. "I don't know. He's too much of a loose cannon. Faith needs stability, you agree?"

Crono

Derek

Outside Faith, Derek was patrolling the far south end if the community's area. The grass and loose rocks clung to his shoes. He had taken out a few of the biters by himself earlier. One of them had been young, had to have been no more than fourteen.

When he served overseas, when they engaged the "war on terror" or so they called it, It was clear to Derek early that it was bull. All of it. Sure, the towers went down and it spurred him to action, but what he saw serving had been nothing short of pure horror.

Children don't pick up a gun and fight you for no reason. Women and men don't put on exploding vests for no reason. Were they sold "bull" as well? Probably. They were all just pieces on the board.

The kid part of it though had to have been the worst part. You go down to street, try to build relationships with the locals, prove to them you are not the bad guy. The kids either shout at you, give you nasty looks, or were manipulated into becoming marauders or whatever. Nothing gave Derek nightmares more than the sight of a dead kid.

However, he was pushing that thought out of his mind, for he had a mission to do here. Those two new people, while they hadn't brought the herd to their door, they sure as hell woke up a bee's nest. A biter, a small woman with nasty bits covering her eye, shambled towards him. He pulled out his combat knife and casually stuck it in her throat. He pulled it upward through her face like it was nothing. He hit her brain and as she slid off the knife, Derek's eye caught something.

Pivoting, he raised his Mk. His eyes narrowed as he glared at an old, lanky man.

"Let me see those hands!" he barked. "I assume you're here 'bout the community? Let me see them hands and I'll bring you over." Derek's eyes looked around to see if he was being ambushed or something, his finger resting on the trigger.

FellowKnight

Tucker

Tucker side-eyed Heidi, at first no-selling the fact she was even with them.

The two's relationship was complicated. The two had been off an on for a while now. Heidi was sweet, funny, and feisty, but honestly Tucker thought she was too much sometimes. Heidi could go a little crazy at times. Drinking, smoking weed, just living fast. While Tucker would love to do that as well, the chip on his shoulder said otherwise. How could he prove he was responsible if he woke up with hangovers every day?

Tucker knew Heidi loved him. Probably. It just wasn't something Tucker could afford to get it involved in anymore. Most love didn't last. He'd had his fill of girls and love back in high school. That being said, things could change, but Tucker had other things in mind.

Addressing Andrew's questions, a slight shiver went down Tucker's body. He wasn't sure if he should bring this subject up with Andrew, Kenji, and Cricket here.

"Look, apparently for a few months, our small supply cashes have been robbed now and again. Some people think there is another group out there stealing our shit."

Playing with his baseball cap, he sighed. "So this kid could be the one stealing everything, or Jemma caught 'em spying on us." Feeling suddenly very annoyed, Tucker's fist hit the table. Turning to Jemma, Tucker asked a question he figured only she here would know.

"Don't Mattie and Ace Davis know how to track and stuff?" he asked. "I know they're kids but you and I know those kids, Jemma. And, well, they are just built different. They ain't normal." Tucker looked down, lowering his voice. "I heard Mattie even killed a guy on the road, even though he's just like eleven. That true?"

FellowKnight Fluffy Cookies Selee-01 Ghost_Candy Zenterfold

Wally

"Steady, Rico, Steady." Wally spoke firmly as he and a man named Rico placed a segment of the sheer metal wall down in place. Rico wasn't a big guy, but he was all muscle. The sun shone on his sweaty, buzzed-cut head. Rico had low intelligence, which Wally hated to think. He was on the borderline of mental deficiency. That being said, Wally and the man had been working on the wall since five in the morning. Wally wanted to keep a rapid pace. While his original prediction said they could finish the wall by the end of the week, at the rate the men were working, two or three days was actually possible.

Today was Wally's eighty-eighth day sober, he thought proudly. He found himself smiling as Rico started to work on the section that needed welding. This was a Joe job, but if Rico screwed the pooch, Joe was skilled at fixing even the hardest of messes.

That being said, Joe was giving Wally a hard time, and Wally understood why. It looked like Wally just fell from the sky to take over Dean's job. Wally always felt the man's judgment when he was giving orders.

"All right Rico, let's call it 'till after the meeting. "

"Whatever."

As Rico walked off, Wally just sat himself against the wall. Noticing Danny not too far off, he motioned to the man.

"Hey, man. Could you please, please explain to me what Bi sees in Dean. He's been watching me and Rico all morning from the top floor window, like I can't see him." Wally didn't even care if someone heard him complaining. "... Actually, is that the 'weird' woman's room. What's her name? Kat or something, right?"

Zenterfold

 

[Gears]

Eddie walked through the settlement in a daze. The memories had blindsided him. He had tried to block out the beginning of the outbreak and the weeks that followed but now the memories had come back with vengeance. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the infected family members and friends he had left or killed.

Eddie decided too get his mind off of it by modifying his Jeep. After reinforcing the battering ram and windows he sat down spinning his father pocket watch like the grandfather clock that had been in his house before he used it too smash in her head. He stopped as he relived the memory and after a minute he put it away and got back to work.

An hour later he stood perched on the edge of his apartment buildings roof. He had a bottle of his best liquor in hand. He took a swig before looking down. He reached into his holster and held the revolver he had used to kill them. He took a gulp and loaded a single bullet into the chamber. He spun the chamber and put it too his head click. he dropped the gun and sat down.

 

[Selee-01]

Addressing Andrew's questions, a slight shiver went down Tucker's body. He wasn't sure if he should bring this subject up with Andrew, Kenji, and Cricket here.

"Look, apparently for a few months, our small supply cashes have been robbed now and again. Some people think there is another group out there stealing our shit."

Andrew digested that for a moment, frowning. He didn’t like thieves, not one bit, but still- it was a kid, at least in theory. If he was just some pawn of this group it wasn’t so bad.

Well, “not so bad”, they still needed to put a stop to it sooner rather than later. The fingers on Andrew’s good hand flexed, and began tapping out an undulating rhythm on the table like the legs of some great insect.

“I say we leave ASAP and take a look around. They’re probably going to be gone later in the day, but if we’re quick enough we might catch the tail end of whatever they’re doing out there. It’s like spotting raccoons,” he said.

 

[Ghost_Candy]

Kenji - Church Cafeteria

He started down at his lunch, eager to dig in as he always was- that was until he heard Jemma's beckon. Before he could even get a word out Cricket swiftly stood to her feet, moving to where Jemma and the others sat.

Begrudgingly he followed, stuffing a tomato slice in his mouth as he walked over to the table. He sat down, landing in between Tucker and Cricket.

Finally able to eat, he started to dig in paying no mind to Jemma as she spoke, only really half-listening to her words. His ears perked up at the mention of a young teen outside the walls. That stuck with him, as much as he was selfish at times; he wasn't a monster, and the thought of a kid abandoned near the walkers alone- sent a chill down his spine.

Kenji ate another tomato slice, now intently listening to the group. He side-eyed Heidi as she mentioned him, he awkwardly looked at her for a moment, before looking back down at his food. He raised his water bottle to his mouth but jumped as Tucker slammed his fist on the table; causing the water bottle to crunch, covering his shirt and face in water. He glared at Tucker intently.

"What the fuck," he muttered, clearly annoyed.

"Another group or not, we should help this kid- as long as he hasn't been bitten that is," he trailed off at the end, using a napkin to dab at his shirt, clearly annoyed at the whole situation.


Zenterfold Josh Selee-01 Fluffy Cookies FellowKnight

 

[The_OverWatcher]

After a boring day William heads to the cafeteria to get some dinner,he then takes it to his room to eat After finishing his food he packs his bag,he only takes what he brought with him he's leaving tonight and hopefully nobody's around.He Leaving because there's nothing in faith for him and besides he doesn't help much anyway he's just an extra mouth to feed. So at midnight he goes to the wall and climbs up looking around seeing if nobody's watching not noticing a few people have seen him,he jumps I've the wall landing with a soft thud and then he's off but soon has to hide in a shed nearby for the night as the walkers are as thick as the sea and hecant keep walking around in rmthe dark unless he wants to die. So William quietly places heavy boxes in front of the door and lays down to sleep.


(Who ever wants to interact with I would like if you did so.)

 

[Gears]

Eddie walked through the surrounding area of the settlement. He lowered a gas mask and fired a flare gun to attract walkers. He pulled out his silenced pistols and after a second walkers appeared but they where different. He felt he was going insane and he cowered from the small amount that would usually have been easy to clear out but he dropped his weapons and fell to the ground as they shuffled closer.

 

[Doctor Voidsman]

-Doctor C had collected a piece of flesh from a decaying body before they had returned. sealing in a glass vial, it was very easy to hide. now all that was needed to do was study it and see if a cure can be made. under the mask, he wore he had a happy almost child like smile. if he wanted to he would shout and jump with excitement but had hidden it in fear of being called a child. he went to the gate to have a celebratory cigar to calm himself and to...well celebrate his now new research yet to be conducted. stopping at the gate he sends his crow, now named Hugin, off to do what ever it wish whilst he lit the cigar and lifted his mask about his mouth to smoke it-

 

[FellowKnight]

Richard

Three days had brought the doctor across the burnt and ravaged hovel of Fort Wayne. Where it seemed there was no short of charred infected, scavenged houses and stores, and trashed streets. He recalled getting a flyer for a city helicopter tour out of a crushed post-box, and compared the picturesque utopia to something fucked beyond recognition. Adjusting the volume on his solar-crank emergency radio to just above a whisper, he listened to that broadcast one more time. Richard half-expected it to be another hoax, a trap like that spiders-nest back in Cincinnati, or that dirty den in Greenwood. How strong could it be to still transmit a year and some change later? They must have generators on site, or maybe some sort of connection to a station nearby.

The road here had been plenty bloody and he'd seen just how depraved the world had been left in the wake of apocalypse. Or was this always in them? Granted he'd seen similar horrors in the hospitals before, when a child would unwittingly succumb to a neural disorder and unwillingly alter the trajectory of their lives. Parents and relatives would clutch themselves in terror as they watched the little ones suffer, becoming paralyzed, vegetative, or worse. There were times he could fix that pain from the safety of his nucleus and carve out bright new futures, but the whole world was naked now.

Yet, as he approached the mountainous walls and spotted a man slaughtering wicked on the perimeter, he acknowledged a kernel of truth to it all. The man was clearly alert but hadn't seen Richard yet, taking his time to lead and slaughter. Almost as if he'd been lost in thought. As if it were a casual affair to cut down the dead.. Who had he been before?

As the thought occurred to him, the man abruptly whirled around with his gun raised. Richard complied and raised his hands, offering a sheepish smile. “Easy, easy now.. Wouldn’t want to draw the wicked, now would we? I’m alone, an old man’s not exactly good company on these roads.” He jabbed a thumb behind him. “The most I have is a knife in my pack, and a revolver, but it's empty. Not that it would matter now.”

There was a bitter edge to his words. Of all his time on the road, it was interactions at gunpoint that he hated the most. Even still, he had a good equalizer for the situation. “My name is Richard Sykes, I’m a doctor. And..” He slowly turned and gestured to a side pocket on his backpack, where the lid of a large mason jar was visible. “I have something to offer. You wouldn’t happen to have a medical team here, would you? It’d be easier to explain it to them. No offense.”

Heidi

Heidi gave Andrew a small smirk and giggle, anticipating the glorious moment he’d bust out of that cast and absolutely destroy it on a bike. God, it’d be a sight she’d have to get used to, like trying to capture Bigfoot on camera. Even so, it was nice to see Andrew had a fun side and wasn't so confrontational and all about survival all the time. She understood the impulse, obviously, but when they had a strong community like Faith to protect them, why bother? Why not have a little fun and let loose, before you turn 30 and grim like most people around here? For her at least, it was a good reminder that the world might not have ended after all, and would keep spinning the next day. She wished Tucker could see that more often.

The conversation quickly turned serious as Tucker mentioned missing supplies and the possibility of another group being responsible, even going so far as to accuse this kid of being involved. Ugh, now he was sounding like her brother. He’d been on some sort of crazed hunt, blabbering about shit that just didn’t make sense, refusing to sleep or eat, getting paranoid over his own shadow. Heidi had half a mind to smack him back to his senses like mom would, if he didn’t snap out of it soon. Tucker on the other hand, had a bit more reason to be suspicious. She knew he meant well but this was just a kid they were talking about. Alone, probably hurt and starving. She really didn’t see any kind of harm they could do, shit, if they were even still alive out there..

She slid some of her napkins over to Kenji, trying not to laugh at his predicament. “I’m with Kenji and ‘Drew on this. I doubt the boogeymen have a kid doing their runs for them, unless they’re just that fucked up and dumb. There’s no guarantee he’d make it back with the loot anyways, so it’d be a waste of time.” There was a hint of sorrow in her voice. Here she was nearly a month after Junette had died, taking on her dumb sentiment to defend a kid she hadn’t even seen yet. All she was missing now was the cape and mask.

“Unlessss he had a bike!” She moved on with a smile, “It’s a few hours to noon, we could be out and back before anyone even notices we’re gone. Plus, I don’t wanna be a downer but it’s a four-to-three vote, so it’s not looking too good for you guys. Those raccoons aren’t gonna turn themselves in.” Heidi figured Cricket would want to stay with Kenji, and she didn’t doubt Elaine would probably wanna go too. They could really use that Amir guy right about now, wherever he was, built like an absolute tree. “Wait.. you said a little kid killed someone? Well.. Shit.”

Billie

At Sam’s blunt words, Billie let out a guilty scoff. “Well, that’s.. Fair enough. I can probably just catch him at the meeting, then.. Uh, I’m really glad you’re on our side, Lionheart. Ehh.. you’ve got a long walk ahead of you so, yea, take it easy.” With that he walked off, towards the cafeteria kitchens. If he was lucky, he could sweet-talk the head cook into letting him meal prep before the meeting, and he’d likely have a better chance of catching Brooke or Ray before the meeting. Not that being sleepy around knives was a completely good idea, but he had to do something to keep busy and stay awake a little while longer.

Junette was his better half in more than a few ways, including how she could talk to people. Straight to the point, no bullshit. He’d always liked to say she was kind, but not nice. Though definitely no where near Dean's level. Most people had taken a liking to her ‘get-with-it’ attitude, but he always felt the need to fluff up conversation, fill in the awkward silence. Either way he tried not to let it bother him too much, if Sam was here to stay they’d have plenty of time to bond. He wondered, with Sam, if that meant pulling trees up by the root and sweeping horde’s off the ground.

 

[Doctor Voidsman]

Interactions: None so far
Location: Gate

-Taking the time to observe the surrounding area he wished to have company to talk too....though he knew people were suspicious if not down right afraid of him because of the mask he wore. deep down he knew he would have to take it off if he wished to be trusted around here. reaching behind his head, he began breathing heavily. he undid the buckles and straps keeping the mask on his face...however he had removing his hat first. soon he loosened his mask and took it off completely...the cool air blew softly on his face making him gasp softly and breathe in the air....he smiled happily and kept smoking his cigar. first step out of who knows how many left-

 

[Gears]

After a second Eddie regained his bearings. He pulled out a combat knife and slashed into the first zombies head. He grabbed a gun and fired into each of their heads. It was silenced so no more stumbled from the abandoned shops. He grabbed his other pistol and decided too scavenge for more supplies.

 

[Josh]

Derek

Hand still on his gun, Derek slowly moved toward the lanky doctor. Derek did not respond and instead issued a simple command. "Spread," he demanded, patting the man down head to tail. Something about this guy definitely gave Derek "doctor" vibes. He was not necessarily surprised either. Dr. Roberts recently added, in their looping broadcast, that they had a well-oiled medical team and were looking for more skilled help. Rumor was, she was trying to make Faith the leading beacon of medicine in the new world, or something of that nature. Derek, while doing patrols, had seen Brooke, Binna, and Bella talking, with Binna obviously pitching something. Long term, Derek thought it could be a great idea. However, he still thought they were a while away from any of that even being possible.

Looking at the jar, Derek couldn't see anything. Noticing the radio, Derek give the man a knowing look. "I think you know we do, Doctor. Sykes, right?"

"Derek, that a new guy?" Jasper shouted from behind Derek.

"Yeah Jasper, we got a doctor Sykes here. He's got something for Hatch and Roberts, apparently. Let Brooke know."

Derek could hear Jasper shuffling behind him. Derek wasn't taking his attention off this new guy for now. "Sure thing," Jasper responded. "Just bring him to the gate."

After a moment, Derek's posture loosened and he motioned for the man to follow. "All right man, few questions, let's just get this out of the way. Where you from? What did you do before? You kill any of the biters out there?" Derek paused. He had one last question, normally they were told not be blunt like this, but Derek wanted to know this kind of info. "Ever kill a person?"

FellowKnight

Tucker
Seeing the water covering Kenji, Tucker face turned red. "Sorry, man."

Listening to Kenji's impassioned words, Tucker shook his head. Tucker agreed in spirit, but he had a different attitude about the matter. "Look, I ain't trying to be heartless, but you're acting like this is the past, Kenji. Like, you think I don't wanna help them? Of course I do! You just gotta think."

A heavy sigh left his body as he sunk back into his chair. "If this kid saw our gates, our walls, why didn't he knock on the door? Or shout for help? Maybe he was scared, I'll give you that. But I think it's suspicious. "

Looking at the whole table, Tucker continued with passion, his hands tapping the table. "And what if he is a part of another group? You think every group is like us? We're a friendly bunch, y'all know that. But can you say that 'bout another group? If they've been in our area, why haven't they come to trade? Why haven't they reached out? What if they're just biding time? What if this kid is supposed to lure us away? Maybe they snatch us and use us as leverage?"

Maia's head bowed as Tucker went on. Her eyes went wide listening to him. "Hey, come on. This is a bit much. I think you're being paranoid."

Tucker took his baseball cap off, shaking his head. "Am I being paranoid? Fuck yeah! But I am livin' in the real world, man! I'm not gonna risk my, yours, or anyone's lives for some kid we know jack shit about! We gotta take care of out own!"

Maia wasn't sure what to say. She looked like she agreed, though also looked slightly uncomfortable.

His eyes narrowing, Tucker looked then at Heidi. "Like you'd even come with us. Like you're even allowed." The young man glared. "That's why I'm askin' bout Mattie. If we did track this kid, Mattie is the best of the best, doesn't matter he's eleven. " A pause. "As for what happened? I don't know. I heard some psycho pulled a gun on Ace and Winnie when they stopped at a gas station. Mattie got the jump on him, and you know?" Tucker's body shook. "Did what he had to do."

FellowKnight Ghost_Candy Selee-01 Fluffy Cookies Zenterfold

 

[Selee-01]

A heavy sigh left his body as he sunk back into his chair. "If this kid saw our gates, our walls, why didn't he knock on the door? Or shout for help? Maybe he was scared, I'll give you that. But I think it's suspicious. "

Andrew snorted at that.

“I suppose I’m suspicious too, because I only came here after snapping my arm?” He asked.

“Not everyone wants help. Besides, out there there’s worse things than biters. Worse people,” he elaborated. “Who’s to say he doesn’t look at us and see monsters?”

Andrew stood, a faint smirk on his face.

“You all can do what you want. But I’ll be out there, and I’ll be taking a look. Worst-case scenario, there’s a gang of thieves out there that we need to know about. I won’t have us be caught with our pants down by whoever’s out there. You can thank me later.”

 

[Zenterfold]

Paul - Shed Outside Faith

It was the next morning for William when someone pounded heavily on the door of his shelter. "Hey, kid!" Paul yelled, raising his voice so that William could hopefully hear him. Paul was keenly aware that walkers had migrated into the nearby area, so he couldn't cause too much noise. "Been looking for you all night. I'm pretty sure you're in there. Last we checked, this shed wasn't locked..." He tried the door again, shoving it hard against the boxes William had created as a barrier. "Are you okay?"

Paul let out a deep breath, his hands resting against the door of the shed. A couple people had reported that one of the kids had hopped the wall the night before, so a few of the runners had gone out looking for him that morning. Paul knew pretty quickly which one it was, considering his daughter had been rallying the rest of them around herself the last week. William was one of the new ones, so it made sense he might feel uncomfortable in a place like Faith. Though, while Paul could possibly understand why he left, he didn't really get why anyone would subject themselves to the world outside of Faith's walls.

"Hey... William, right? Please, I need to know if you're in there and that you're okay. I can talk to you from out here if you want, but I want to try and get you back to Faith."

The_OverWatcher

Sean - Shops Outside Faith

"The fuck are you doing?" Sean said from behind Eddie, his eyes glaring at the teen. Sean had just finished getting those two newcomers back to Faith and was on his way to check the vehicle they had left behind when he'd seen the flare go off nearby. He thought that maybe it might have been the teenager that left the night before, but it was just some other kid. "I don't know what kind of death wish you got, but you can't go shooting off a fucking flare so close to Faith."

Sean was keeping an eye out for the undead, only realizing after a moment that the kid had gone and dropped his weapons on the ground. "Fuck, you really do have a death wish--" He stopped himself once the kid got his bearings and decided to fight back. He certainly knew how to fight and use a gun.

"Dude, slow down."

Sean moved to catch up with Eddie as he went toward the shops. He paused to slash at an approaching walker and the smell of rotting blood filled the air. "You're not supposed to be out here, you know that?"

Gears

Craig - Near Faith's Gate

Craig had spent the morning mostly by himself, having decided to forego a service that morning to give more people to prepare for the meeting later. While the priest was happy that attendance seemed to be increasing recently, he almost felt like something was off. Faith had never undergone such rapid change in such a short time before, so it was no surprise that its people were more on edge than usual. However, even with that in mind, some of the whispers Craig had heard had concerned him immensely. He had never had cause to question Brooke and Ray's leadership before and still he felt that they were the best fits for the job, even if they had mostly just fallen into that position when Faith was first getting on its feet.

Unfortunately, the question of Faith's leadership paled in comparison when it came to how much damage the matter of the missing supplies could bring. Craig knew that Brooke was going to officially announce the problem at the meeting later, but people were already running wild with concerns. The leading idea seemed to be that some sort of group was out there, hiding in the shadows and stealing from them. It only made sense to think this was the case when one saw all the new people coming into Faith as of late. While Craig was not sure if anything was out there, he worried more if the culprit was closer to home.

Musing on all of this, Craig had been wandering Faith, mostly lost in his own thoughts. He smiled and nodded to those he past, most treating him incredibly warmly. It brought joy to his heart that so many would treat him with such kindness. It was his love for his fellow man that kept Craig going with the world the way it was. He eventually saw Danny crossing his path up ahead and Craig was quick to smile his way. Danny's face seemed to light up at the sight of him, but after a moment of thought, he awkwardly looked away and continued moving. Craig felt an ache at the pit of his stomach, for he knew Danny's demeanor was all on him.

At the gate of the community, Craig saw one of their new runners letting a crow off into the sky lighting up a cigar. There was no shortage of people who believed that Mr. Colmer was a pretty scary man. Craig was of the belief he was just misunderstood. After all, the masked man seemed mild-mannered enough. The priest approached him, flashing the man a warm smile. "I see your friend has flown away," he said with a slight hint of playfulness. "You must have owned birds at some point in your life, yes? You're very good with them."

Doctor Voidsman

Ray - Ray's Office

Ray kept an even smile plastered on his face as Birdie spoke. He considered each of the weapons she listed off and nodded slowly. "Oh, no worries, ma'am," he said. "One of the runners who picked you up has gone back for your stuff, but we'll get them back to you. We don't allow civilians to carry their firearms inside the walls but you can have them if you ever were to leave the safety of our community. Well, not that you will ever have to do that, mind you." He looked at Cinder and smiled. "So, yes, you can stay. We don't tend to turn anyone away."

There had come a point in conducting all these interviews the past week that Ray realized he had a tendency to turn on his professor tone when trying to assure others. He'd dealt with enough students, both teens and young adults, crying to him about deadlines or the difficulties of life that he learned to develop a very specific measure of voice for calming others. He worried that some could catch on and think he was talking down to them in some manner. It could get tricky when he was trying to extract information out of the people he was interviewing.

He considered the pair for a moment, taking note of the farm Birdie mentioned. He wrote it down quickly. "So, was it just you two on your farm? Was it pretty far from here? I can't imagine so if you heard the broadcast." He stopped writing and looked up at them. "You were very lucky to have not encountered many of the undead at a time. Did something happen that made you both leave?"

Patience

Elliot - Workout Room

Elliot was taken aback. He watched Bella's hand movements carefully and signed, "sorry, waiting forever?" He felt his face grow hot when he started to understand what Bella was saying. Of course he had known she had some sort of feelings for him. Hell, Danny had helpfully reminded him enough times of that fact. He had just always felt like the whole thing was rather inappropriate, considering what had happened with Bella's last boyfriend.

"I'm not exactly into you. No, I mean-- It is not that I am not into you." Elliot started signing slowly, carefully considering his words. "I just was not really sure what to make of everything that happened with you and me and Kevin. Come on, Bella, what was I supposed to think?"

Elliot paused and licked his lips. He looked into Bella's eyes and realized his feelings might be more complicated than he could convey. He really wasn't even sure what he felt at this point. He didn't understand why people seemed to think he was putting up some kind of wall when he wasn't trying to do that at all. If Bella had really been waiting on him all this time, he just felt bad that he put her in that position.

Finally, Elliot began moving again. "Would it really be so bad to shackle yourself to someone?" he questioned. "Look at the world around you. We need each other. It seems to me you might be afraid of commitment because you are just waiting on me or something. The last thing I would want is to do that to you."

Josh

Danny - Faith (Near Wall Construction)

Danny let out a small snort at what Wally said. "Wow, man, didn't take you long to start gossiping." Danny shrugged his shoulders. Dean was an asshole for sure, though Danny had yet to see the man do anything he should be concerned about. While he did get the sense that Binna was really not into the relationship, Danny figured he knew better than to think Binna would listen to him about relationship advice.

"I don't really think Binna sees much in Dean," Danny admitted. "Don't really know if she told you this or if I should be talking about it, but she lost someone just before we got to Faith. A really good guy named Greg. Definitely felt like Binna would have been with him for the long haul if he was still fuckin' with us. I think Dean's just, you know, a big sexy replacement who she has absolutely no chemistry with. That's how it goes, I guess."

He crossed his arms and eyed Wally for a moment. Obviously with Binna having been the adopted sibling, they would not look alike physically. Thing was, Danny had yet to get much of a read on Wally so he was finding it hard to see much similar in Wally and Binna as siblings yet. Wally definitely didn't come anywhere near close to the mental powerhouse that Binna was, even if he seemed to know his way around a hammer.

"Anyway... Keep that between us." Danny nodded to the top floor window nearby. "You mean Katja, right? She's a recluse. She only really talks to the doctors. Not surprised she's keeping watch. Seeing a bunch of guys work construction in the sun is probably the only entertainment she's gotten in weeks."

Josh

Jemma - Church Cafeteria

Letting out a frustrated sigh. Jemma held out a hand to Tucker and Andrew. "Guys!" she snapped, trying to get ahold of the conversation. "Listen, I already said I think we should find this kid, so I'm all for that, but we really can't all go running out there. Even if we have a couple hours to spare, it would only have to be a few of us so it's not weird we're all missing. I talked to my dad before he left this morning and they are already looking for that other kid. I think his name is William. He left last night so they are kind of on high alert. But that means their attention is divided, so..."

She stood up slowly, her mind turning quickly. She was feeling kind of strangely excited about the prospect of them going out on some kind of secret mission. Really, she was just tired of relying on her dad so much. She wanted to make a difference around here all on her own. She looked to Tucker and eyed him carefully.

"Dude, you need to calm down, okay? We don't know anything about this kid but we can't assume the worst. I agree that Mattie could probably track him but his parents will fucking flip out if they notice him gone. We'd all be fucked if that happens. I'm not bringing another kid out there." She leaned down to whisper into Tucker's ear. "And you shouldn't be telling people about what happened to him. That's messed up, Tucker."

With that, she started gathering what remained of her food. "Amir's out, he hasn't really been into going out since we started. And honestly Tucker, I don't think you should go either. You seem way too worked up about this. We can't go messing this up."

"If you're looking for volunteers to stay put here, I'm fine with that," Maia said. "I don't think I'd be much use to you guys this morning."

Nash looked at Elaine expectantly. "Umm..." He shrugged. "I'm not sure. Do you guys think I should go?"

Selee-01 Ghost_Candy Fluffy Cookies Josh FellowKnight

 

[Doctor Voidsman]

Craig - Near Faith's Gate

Craig had spent the morning mostly by himself, having decided to forego a service that morning to give more people to prepare for the meeting later. While the priest was happy that attendance seemed to be increasing recently, he almost felt like something was off. Faith had never undergone such rapid change in such a short time before, so it was no surprise that its people were more on edge than usual. However, even with that in mind, some of the whispers Craig had heard had concerned him immensely. He had never had cause to question Brooke and Ray's leadership before and still he felt that they were the best fits for the job, even if they had mostly just fallen into that position when Faith was first getting on its feet.

Unfortunately, the question of Faith's leadership paled in comparison when it came to how much damage the matter of the missing supplies could bring. Craig knew that Brooke was going to officially announce the problem at the meeting later, but people were already running wild with concerns. The leading idea seemed to be that some sort of group was out there, hiding in the shadows and stealing from them. It only made sense to think this was the case when one saw all the new people coming into Faith as of late. While Craig was not sure if anything was out there, he worried more if the culprit was closer to home.

Musing on all of this, Craig had been wandering Faith, mostly lost in his own thoughts. He smiled and nodded to those he past, most treating him incredibly warmly. It brought joy to his heart that so many would treat him with such kindness. It was his love for his fellow man that kept Craig going with the world the way it was. He eventually saw Danny crossing his path up ahead and Craig was quick to smile his way. Danny's face seemed to light up at the sight of him, but after a moment of thought, he awkwardly looked away and continued moving. Craig felt an ache at the pit of his stomach, for he knew Danny's demeanor was all on him.

At the gate of the community, Craig saw one of their new runners letting a crow off into the sky lighting up a cigar. There was no shortage of people who believed that Mr. Colmer was a pretty scary man. Craig was of the belief he was just misunderstood. After all, the masked man seemed mild-mannered enough. The priest approached him, flashing the man a warm smile. "I see your friend has flown away," he said with a slight hint of playfulness. "You must have owned birds at some point in your life, yes? You're very good with them."

"Yes....Crows and Ravens mostly. Accosiated with death they are misunderstood and seem as a bad omen. I myself think they are great birds to be around. yes the feathers and cawing are annoying at first but over time you get used to it....Hugin is her name. just one more and I'll have Munin then only will I finally earn the right to call myself Odin -he chulcked to himself poking fun of norse myth before took a drag of his cigar- "would you like one Herr Craig? I have plenty to spare hell I picked up 6 more on our way back from the run" -he took another out from his coat chuckling and offering it to the man. his attitude seemed...different. as if the mask itself hid hindered his emotions. speaking of which he wasn't wearing it surprisingly-

 

[Gears]

Outside faith
Eddie was still dazed but said "Was clearing out the nearby area, usually a flare or two will draw them out." He stared at one infected face. Whatever the hell was wrong with him made him see his father. He didn't know if he had just gone nuts but that didn't matter.

 

[Zenterfold]

Craig - Near Faith's Gate

Craig looked at the man impassively for a moment before reaching his hand out. "Sure, I'll take one if you can spare it," he said. He was not much of a smoker and he had maybe only one cigar back in college, but he was trying to create common ground with the doctor. For Craig, actions tended to speak louder than words. "Admittedly, it is rather looked down upon for men of faith to partake in tobacco, but there is no rule about it. Besides, I'm sure you could imagine the amount of priests I had met who would smoke regularly in private." He smiled to himself as he thought about the men he knew back in seminary. "Between Sister Carmen and I, we are a pretty liberal pair."

He thought for a moment on the raven named Hugin. Craig wondered if perhaps if the doctor saw something of himself in the birds he raised. "I have heard ravens associated with uncleanliness, though that could be attributed to the fact that they pick clean the dead. There is some kind of purity in that. They are certainly not unholy birds. Noah himself used one as a messenger, you know."

Doctor Voidsman

Sean - Shops Outside Faith

Sean was at a loss for words momentarily. He followed Eddie, looking annoyed as he kept an eye on the nearby walker. "It could attract more than you can handle," Sean said bluntly. "If you want to be a runner so bad, you should say something to Derek or Brooke. Running around like this is just going to get you in trouble. Or killed. And you're definitely gonna get killed the way you're acting. How the hell did you even manage to survive this long?"

There was something off about Eddie that Sean could not exactly put his finger on. Something about the way he looked around made Sean think of his brother. That thought alone made his chest hurt and his head spin. "Listen, are you okay? You act way differently than the other kids."

Gears

 

[Gears]

Outside of Faith
Eddie considered telling him about the illusions his fucked up mind had been conjuring but decide not. He thought for a second and said “When everything went bad I was luckier than most, my skill set helped a lot, and to answer the second question I doubt any kids are normal after the outbreak, I saw some messed up shit” he pulled a picture from his pocket of his family “Fought through a small horde to reach them and they were already turned”

 

[FellowKnight]

Heidi

A fire burned in Heidi's stomach as Tucker spoke, and her cheery attitude boiled down to hot rage. How could he say shit like this? It was one thing to be cautious of strangers, especially in this fucked up world, but did he really mean to hunt down a kid? Or leave him out there to die? All because he might be spying on them? He'd been on a sort of high-horse for a while now, probably rubbing shoulders with the adults or something, and it made the gap between them even more infuriating. She was more upset by how his comment to her had cut so deeply.

It was no secret that she wanted out of Faith's walls to be a runner like Junette, and that her brother and Mona and Derek and just about everybody blocked her from doing so. She'd stopped taking those nightly trips as they got more dangerous, and truth be told, she was starting to lose it over how helpless and pampered she was feeling. Linking up with this group, going on secret trips beyond the walls, it was more than just having fun, or proving she could handle herself.

It was all she had.

"Hey fuck you, I've been outside the walls! This kid's got more reason to be scared of you than the rest of us, the way you're talking about hunting him down. I'm glad he didn't knock on our gates, 'cause you'd probably jump him like a pitbull!" She brushed hair out of her face, not missing a beat and not letting up. "And If his group wanted to snatch you guys up, don't you think they'd have done it the last time you were out there? What happens if Mattie finds him, huh? You gonna hold him at gunpoint and interrogate him, you--"

She snapped out of it as Jemma cut in before things got too heated. Heidi didn't mean to say so much, but she was seriously fed up with Tucker's attitude. She wiped at her eyes not even realizing she was tearing up and quickly sat down. Taking some napkins, she kept her gaze down and listened to Jemma. Admittedly, she was right. With most of the runners scrambled, a smaller group had the best chance of getting out and getting back with little to no trouble. She took a few sad bites of what was left on her tray and absently spoke to Nash.

"Whatever.." She sighed and took a moment to look at him. Her lips twitched in an attempt at a sad smile. "Sorry. Of course you can, dude. But if you have any doubts, it's probably safer you stay here. And I wanna go too," She glanced up at Jemma, biting a bullet. "Unless our headcount is getting too big, then.. *sigh* I guess I'll stay." She wanted out more than anything, she'd scream it in just about anybody's face, but this kid needed help regardless of who went. They couldn't get to him if they were caught.

Ghost_Candy Fluffy Cookies Josh Selee-01 Zenterfold

Richard

The greyed doctor offered a warm smile and retorted, "Right. And now I know it's not false advertising. Nice to meet you, Derek." As he went on, he shot a few questions rapid-fire at Richard, looking for serious answers. What he was really looking for was a killer, a threat, or a mind unhinged. Richard was none of the above and didn't feel the need to challenge him on this. Though it was telling of who he'd been before, to remember his training all this time later. The name he'd said though, Roberts.. Why did that sound familiar?

"Miami, I was-- am-- a Neurosurgeon, the best if not the only you'll find. My boy, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't, and I certainly wouldn't have this." He tapped the jar with a perked eyebrow and no shortage of pride. He'd been through the same sort of rigamarole on his travels, and it had been exhausting to re-explain his life, the value of his skills and the trials of parading them for that community. Lately though, he's enjoyed the nostalgia of it. That all melted away at Derek's last question, and a wide-look briefly crossed Richard's eyes before he looked away with a hint of shame in his features.

"No.. I couldn't. I had to, but I couldn't.." He took a deep breath and met Derek’s eyes. A knowing look passed between the men as Richard nodded, his words cold and biting.

"But you have, right soldier?"

Josh

Mona

Having finished her chores at the greenhouse and letting Elyse take Amelia for a spell, Mona decided she'd get a hold of Brooke and present her plans before the meeting. They were basic sketches and details all rolled into a packet, but they encompassed weeks of planning and all her heart. She didn't want to derail whatever agenda they had to go over, and honestly she felt she had more of a chance in a one-on-one. It was also more a hope to raise Brooke's spirits given the climate around her. Besides, Ray was sweet but everyone knew Brooke wore the pants.

She walked along one of the streets-- well, more like an awkward waddle-- waving and greeting people as her leg tapped behind her. It hadn't really struck home that she had lost her leg just a few months before on a run. She was not-so gently reminded though, with the phantom pains and trouble moving with everyday tasks. Dr. Hatch, after working with Billie to make the leg and run her through some physical therapy, had said it was sure to be a long road to recovery. It helped that the people of Faith didn't look at her any different, after a month or so, and she felt far less of an eyesore now than in the wheelchair. Some of them even signed it and let their kids doodle on it!

"Hey Brooke, you got a minute? I got something I wanted to show you." They sat at a table just near the parking lot, where Mona laid out the packet's contents. A few composite sketches of a parade in Faith and flowers draped over it's walls, along with a detailed account of how supplies would be used and in some cases, reimbursed. The main event lasting a week that started with the handmade floats and projects in the parade and ended with a party; filled with gift exchanges, yard-games fit for kids and adults, tickets for a special spot in the parade next year, as well as an outdoor play. There was some extra stuff, including a script to put in their broadcast, a list of volunteers and backers, and a map of the craft shops around Fort Wayne, that weren't listed in any runner reports and probably hadn't been cleaned out.

"I wanted to wait until the meeting but I get the sense more important things might take the floor there, so," She gestured to the pages as Brooke looked them over. "I know things are crazy right now, especially with the new people flooding in and the expansion being rushed. But I think we need this and I figured since we're making a life here, it's time to start living it a little, you know? What do you think?"

Zenterfold

 

[Doctor Voidsman]

Craig looked at the man impassively for a moment before reaching his hand out. "Sure, I'll take one if you can spare it," he said. He was not much of a smoker and he had maybe only one cigar back in college, but he was trying to create common ground with the doctor. For Craig, actions tended to speak louder than words. "Admittedly, it is rather looked down upon for men of faith to partake in tobacco, but there is no rule about it. Besides, I'm sure you could imagine the amount of priests I had met who would smoke regularly in private." He smiled to himself as he thought about the men he knew back in seminary. "Between Sister Carmen and I, we are a pretty liberal pair."

He thought for a moment on the raven named Hugin. Craig wondered if perhaps if the doctor saw something of himself in the birds he raised. "I have heard ravens associated with uncleanliness, though that could be attributed to the fact that they pick clean the dead. There is some kind of purity in that. They are certainly not unholy birds. Noah himself used one as a messenger, you know."

"yes...I happen to know that. But in truth I don't see them that way. if anything they are misunderstood for what they are. They may be scavengers yes but they are smart to can solve problems and they can surprise even us humans with their knowledge" -he take a drag from his cigar and and inhales softly before blows a white cloud out from his lips- "would ya hate me if I said I was never a man of faith? could never really stick to it all that well as I never truly believed in what was said in the bible or by the priest...no offense to you herr Craig I think you're doing your job well" -he rub the back of his head chuckling nervously and taking in another drag from his cigar-

 

[Patience]

"What a service y'all got goin' on here!" Birdie smiled, "Should be callin' 'em Angels! Pretty sure I saw one of 'em fly earlier!" She winked at Ray, very pleased with Faith's dedicated group of runners. "We're from Roanoke, 30 minutes south of here... To be frank, wouldn't have left either if we hadn't run out of supplies... That whole damn town is picked clean!" She huffed before continuing her story. "My late husband built us a bunker a long time ago, afraid of the Russians.... Of course, it just sat there collecting dust... Cold war my ass!" She chuckled loudly. "Ain't really nothin' back there of value, save some good bedding and old clothes I reckon...." She shrugged as Cinder decided to speak up.

Cinder had relaxed a little since Ray confirmed they could in fact make a home here but the teen still seemed to be pretty detached from reality. "My parents flew into Fort Wayne a few weeks before the catastrophe...." She twiddled her thumbs, debating on whether or not to continue on with her question... "Is the airport.... I mean... Did people from there.... I, uh.... Have you by any chance met a Maxwell or Sadie Fairchild?" There wasn't much hope on her face, but the question still seemed to make her emotional. Birdie put her arm around Cinder and patted the other. "I told the girl not to get her hopes up, ain't much of a chance... But to be straight with you, outside of what we seen on the TV or heard over the radio during the first few weeks... We don't really know much about what's been happenin'. I s'pose we been lucky, through all this... Or not, dependin' on 'ur perspective... I kind of half expected a Tornada' to take us before any of 'em rotters."

---

Zenterfold​

 

[Crono]

Faith Walls

Conrad

Carmen doing digging was surprising for multiple reasons, but Conrad listened to the woman as she spoke. Brooke had a bigger target on her from what the Sister was saying. Though he didn't have any direct quarrel's with Brooke herself, the favoritism wasn't entirely subtle and could also be doing more harm then good should someone less qualified take a higher role in the community. The following list of potential replacements had Conrad fully taken back though, "Me?" He asked incredulously, not expecting anyone to name drop him. Not that he would want that role in the least, he was hardly a leader.

Dean was the next subject, and it was clear that Carmen wasn't comfortable with the thought of him leading either. Conrad shifted his weight onto his hip for a moment while in thought. While it was true that Dean wasn't exactly the most tolerable, he was still somewhat reliable. Still he mirrored the Sister's concern for the most part. "You're not wrong. If a change in leadership happens, it has to be for the better. Otherwise, what's the point?" Conrad took in a breath and let out a soft sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe this place needs less of direct leaders, and more of a council on equal footing." It was mostly a thought, but he'd said it aloud with no full backing his voice.

Josh​

coded by reveriee.